I think they are more of a Dutch thing -- perhaps a Dutch adaptation of nasi padang = Padang rice, Padang being the capital of W. Sumatra. The Minangkabau people from that region dominate the restaurant business in Indonesia.

If you go to a Padang restaurant, the waiter will bring you a whole selection of dishes to your table and you take what you want. When you've finished your meal he'll just glance at the serving plates and know exactly what you've had, and then tots up the bill. Padang waiters have competitions to see how many serving plates of food they can carry at one time. I have an idea the current record is 40.

The waiter in the picture at the bottom of this page isn't even trying. http://home.wanadoo.nl/zoontjes/en/sumb/sumb_padang.htm

Bingley

Bingley